I love when people try to compare their own jobs to NFL players or athletes.
Of course if you don't show up to your shift at Cinnabon they will fire and replace you. You are not special. It's ok, sure your mom and your girlfriend like you just fine but it's ok that you are unremarkable.
This post needs more recognition, great stuff right here.
Those of you who think it's absurd that a player would hold out with 1 year left are a little detached from reality - these are not your entertainment pawns, these are real people, and for them to play on a 1 year deal *when they are elite* is a bad business decision... nothing more, nothing less.
As someone else mentioned above, these "contracts" are label only... guess what, if an elite player wants to hold out, and the organization doesn't want to work with them... SOME. OTHER. TEAM. WILL.
That's the whole point of great players holding out... because they can. They have leverage that they'll get another deal. Do the best business move you can.